Animal Welfare Professionals

Hey!

I'd love some advice. In thinking about creating a Fear Free shelter environment for pets, do you have a favorite technique, protocol, process or tool that you use to reduce fear, stress, anxiety or frustration? I'd love to hear about it- please share!

Hide-y boxes, Feliway on a stuffed animal, intake happens in a different room than where cats are housed, covers on one of the two housing kennels so a cat can hide if they want, towel wrap instead of scruff - basically any lighter handling when it is safe to do so, and quiet voices. Take a deep breath to slow you down can help a lot too.

Thanks, Kristi!! I've never put Feliway on a stuffed animal before, love that idea!  That and deep breaths!!!

I love Kristi's suggestions!  I use all of these techniques in my cat enrichment advocacy volunteer work.  Though I use a variety of feline calming sprays, both synthetic pheromone-based and herbal, on stuffed animals and cat bedding.  I especially like Nature's Miracle Just for Cats Calming Spray).  Here are some  additional tools & techniques  that I've found  effective in reducing shelter cats' fear, stress and/or frustration:  

-Cozy bedding (at least 3 inches if possible for deep sleep.)

-Offer my fingertip when greeting a cat ( before touching the cat).  Let the cat decide what level of interaction he/she wants.    

-Slow blinks

-Getting as close to the cat's eye level as possible to appear less threatening (while remaining safe) and turning sideways.  This frequently involves squatting down to interact with cats/kittens in lower cages.  I often sit on the floor.  Uncomfortable, but often effective.  

-Calming music, particularly "Through a Cat's  Ear" (bio-acoustically engineered music for cats by Josh Specter) and  "Joshua's Harp" (harp music designed to calm animals by Susan Raimond).  I've  found these to be very effective!

-Sound machine: Crickets and Babbling Brook settings.  

-Spoon feeding stressed "social eaters" (cats & kittens) with a plastic infant spoon.  Also, some of the most well socialized shelter cats love being fed from a spoon!    

-Frequent, but short, interactions for frightened / highly stressed cats.  

-TREATS!

-Training on basic commands such as "touch", "sit" & "high five".  See video of wonderful shelter cat Mr. Beanz demonstrating his skills :    https://ws.petango.com/webservices/adoptablesearch/wsAdoptableAnimalDetails.aspx?id=37576843&css=http://ws.petango.com/WebServices/adoptablesearch/css/styles.css&PopUp=true)

Avoiding eye contact for most animals, and speaking in a low calm voice. Also, treating any pain/physical discomfort ASAP before any actual handling. So many animals come into shelters banged up, and getting that out of the way helps 1000%

Whatever the species, slow down, calm down. Create a positive rapport and then begin to build trust. As a mentor of mine always said, "What is the truth as the animal sees it?" Give them space, give them choices

I have an added question- We just held a vaccination/microchipping clinic for 240 cats and dogs.  Many fractious.... anything from Fear Free that could be used in that environment to help mitigate the stress?

Hey Stacy,

I have lots of different ideas.  I’ll share a few and see if others chime in. 

• Separate dogs from cats. 
• If there are super stressed or aggressive dogs, give them a number/placeholder so that they don’t have to be so close to other dogs while waiting
• put towels over cat carriers
• Use minimal restraint when administering vaccines but stay safe. Use muzzles when necessary 
• lots of treats!!  

Have you taken the fear free course?

Hi Sheila;   Thanks for the suggestions.  I will pass them along.  For 240 cats and dogs there were 5 veterinarians and support teams.  There were two "cat tents" with a vet in each one.  People started showing up with their cats and dogs at 70 for a 10am start and the clinic went to 20.

I haven't taken the Fear Free Course, but I did interview Marty Becker about the program and found it very interesting:

https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/episode-121-marty-becker/

In previous vaccination/michrochipping clinics we had 200 animals so this was bigger. 

No advice but this is a great discussion.  

I love Kristi B.'s suggestions!  I use all of these techniques in my cat enrichment advocacy volunteer work.  Though I use a variety of feline calming sprays, both synthetic pheromone-based and herbal, on stuffed animals and cat bedding.  I especially like Nature's Miracle Just for Cats Calming Spray).  Here are some  additional tools & techniques  that I've found  effective in reducing shelter cats' fear, stress and/or frustration:  

-Cozy bedding (at least 3 inches if possible for deep sleep.)

-Offer my fingertip when greeting a cat ( before touching the cat).  Let the cat decide what level of interaction he/she wants.    

-Slow blinks

-Getting as close to the cat's eye level as possible to appear less threatening (while remaining safe) and turning sideways.  This frequently involves squatting down to interact with cats/kittens in lower cages.  I often sit on the floor.  Uncomfortable, but often effective.  

-Out of cage time.

-Calming music, particularly "Through a Cat's  Ear" (bio-acoustically engineered music for cats by Josh Specter) and  "Joshua's Harp" (harp music designed to calm animals by Susan Raimond).  I've  found these to be very effective!

-Sound machine: Crickets and Babbling Brook settings.  

-Spoon feeding stressed "social eaters" (cats & kittens) with a plastic infant spoon.  Also, some of the most well socialized shelter cats love being fed from a spoon!    

-Frequent, but short, interactions for frightened / highly stressed cats.  

-TREATS!

-Training on basic commands such as "touch", "sit" & "high five".  See video of wonderful shelter cat Mr. Beanz demonstrating his skills :    https://ws.petango.com/webservices/adoptablesearch/wsAdoptableAnimalDetails.aspx?id=37576843&css=http://ws.petango.com/WebServices/adoptablesearch/css/styles.css&PopUp=true)

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